Page 36 of The Book of Irish Secrets
‘Are you okay?’ Pierce had noticed Claire’s distress and looked at her with concern.
‘I’m fine,’ Claire panted, dabbing her face with a paper napkin. ‘It’s just so hot here and the dancing kind of took my breath away.’
‘Me too,’ Pierce said and sat down with an exhausted grunt. He poured water into a glass from a jug on the table and handed it to her. ‘Here. Have some water. I’m suddenly reminded that I’m not a teenager any more, or even thirty-five or so. Can’t keep up with the youngsters who will bop away till dawn.’
Claire nodded and drank deeply from the glass. ‘I know what you mean. Thanks for the water. I really needed this.’
‘So do I,’ Pierce said and poured himself a glass of water. He drank it down quickly and then looked at Claire. ‘How about going outside for a bit? Just to get some fresh air and to look at the stars.’
She looked at his red face, messy hair and kind blue eyes and suddenly knew that there was nobody she’d rather look at the stars with than him. ‘Oh yes,’ she said, getting up. ‘A bit of fresh air would be lovely.’
They pushed through the crowd to the entrance door and went out into the cool, dark night, and stood together on the street, looking up at the stars glimmering in the night sky. Claire breathed in the air laced with salt, woodsmoke and a touch of garlic and herbs from the chowder they had just enjoyed. She leaned against Pierce and smiled, feeling her hot cheeks cool and the air reviving her.
‘Thanks for making me go outside,’ she said. ‘I really needed a blast of cold air. It was getting very hot in there.’
He put his arm around her. ‘I hope you’re not cold?’
‘No, I’m fine for the moment,’ she said. ‘But I won’t stay out here long without a jacket.’
‘You look so nice in that green shirt, though,’ Pierce said, smiling down at her. ‘That colour suits you.’
‘Thanks,’ Claire said, happy that the dark hid her pink cheeks. ‘It was the only green thing I had.’
‘I had to put on this ridiculous dickie bow,’ Pierce said. ‘Or Karina wouldn’t have let me out of the house. “You have to wear something green on Paddy’s Day,” she said. “Or the fairies will come and get you.”’
‘Or the wicked leprechaun, as my Auntie Rachel would say,’ Claire filled in.
‘Scary women,’ Pierce said with a pretend shudder.
‘I like your dickie bow,’ Claire said. ‘It makes you look… nice,’ she ended feebly. ‘I mean that it makes you look like someone who doesn’t take himself too seriously.’
‘Unlike your ex?’ he asked. ‘He really takes himself seriously.’
‘Yeah, that’s for sure,’ Claire said with feeling.
‘I wasn’t going to tell you,’ Pierce started. ‘But he sidled up to me in the pub just before the music started. He asked if I knew you. I couldn’t deny it as we were sitting together.’
‘Of course not,’ Claire said, feeling a chill creeping up her spine which had nothing to do with the cold air.
‘I do hope the fairies will get him,’ Claire muttered.
‘Or the wicked leprechaun?’ Pierce suggested.
‘Him too. Oh, how I wish he had never turned up here,’ Claire said miserably.
Pierce took his arm off Claire’s shoulder and turned her around to face him. ‘He has something on you, doesn’t he?’
Claire stared at Pierce through the darkness, only illuminated by the lit windows of the pub. ‘Yes, I’m afraid he does. He knows something about me that might shock you.’ Claire swallowed, suddenly feeling she had to tell him who she really was. She knew he was fond of her, but what she was about to reveal might turn him away from her. Despite that, she had a sudden urge to share the burden of her secret. She had an odd feeling that if Pierce knew, he’d keep it to himself and not tell anyone until she was ready. She hoped fervently that she was right.
‘I’m not easily shocked,’ Pierce said. ‘But if you don’t want to tell me, I understand.’
‘I want to tell you,’ Claire said in a near whisper. ‘But…’
‘You want me to promise to keep it to myself?’ he asked.
‘Yes.’
‘Okay. I promise. Whatever it is, I won’t share it with anyone.’
